ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A judge has dismissed a Trump administration legal challenge to New York policies that block immigration officials from arresting people at state courthouses, saying the federal government can’t force states to cooperate with those enforcement efforts.
U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino late Monday granted New York’s motion to dismiss the government’s lawsuit, which was part of a series of legal actions from the Trump administration targeting state and local policies on immigration enforcement.
The lawsuit contested a 2020 state law known as the Protect Our Courts Act, which bans federal immigration officials from arresting individuals at New York courthouses unless they possess a warrant signed by a judge. This law was enacted following federal enforcement actions during President Trump’s first term.
The Department of Justice argued that the New York law, along with two related state executive orders, were unconstitutional as they obstructed federal immigration enforcement.
Judge D’Agostino stated that New York’s choice not to engage in enforcing civil immigration law is shielded by the 10th Amendment, which restricts federal governmental powers.
“Fundamentally, the United States fails to identify any federal law mandating that state and local officials generally assist or cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Nor could it,” the judge wrote. “No such federal laws exist because the Tenth Amendment prohibits Congress from conscripting state and local officials and resources to assist with federal regulatory schemes, like immigration enforcement.”
The Justice Department did not respond immediately regarding whether it plans to appeal the ruling.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who advocated for the dismissal of the lawsuit, emphasized the importance of the ruling, stating that it safeguards “the dignity and rights of immigrant communities.” She stressed that the ruling ensures everyone can seek justice without fear of being targeted by federal authorities.
